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On the same day the sixth-generation model is launched in South Africa, today the wraps have been taken off the latest racing Volkswagen Polo which will contest the 2018 Engen Volkswagen Cup. The first circuit racing version of the all-new Polo, the 2018 Engen Volkswagen Cup car is based on the GTI model, which will arrive in South Africa later this year.

‘Push to Pass’ system
Carrying the same ‘Beware the Confidence’ tagline as the standard car’s launch materials, the Engen Volkswagen Cup GTI has a 2.0-litre, 197bhp four-cylinder turbocharged engine which produces 251lb ft / 340Nm of torque at 1 bar of boost. There is also a new ‘Push to Pass’ system which releases another 23bhp for 10 seconds, similar to that seen on the 2012 Scirocco R-Cup cars.

In a difference to the intial batch of European road cars, the 2018 Engen Volkswagen Cup Polo GTIs have a six-speed manual ‘MQ350’ gearbox, taken from the latest Golf GTI. Locally-sourced SAX shock absorbers sit suspend the standard Polo’s five-door body, while the car sits on coil springs front and rear, and rides on Dunlop semi-slick tyres.

‘Most successful racing formula’
Mike Rowe, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa said: ‘Volkswagen Motorsport would like to thank Engen for their on-going sponsorship and commitment to what we see as South Africa’s most successful racing formula as well as the competitors who have the confidence in the series to make the change to the all-new car.’

Those 24 competitors will contest a total of eight rounds in 2018, the 22nd year the Polo-based Engen Volkswagen Cup has been run. ‘We are very excited for the start of the 2018 racing season,’ continued Mike Rowe. ‘I am sure that all the Engen Volkswagen Cup competitors are raring to go.’

‘The series, which has become known as the School of Champions, is a special one in South Africa and has crowned a total of 16 different national champions. It also an immensely competitive one as only five people have managed to win it more than once,’ he added.

GTI badge debut
The closely-fought Engen Volkswagen Cup series is a one-make series where performance is kept equal to provide entertaining motor racing. Teams are only permitted to adjust the chassis set-up and tyre pressures, while the engine power is also limited. The 2018 season sees the ‘GTI’ badge make its debut on a South African Polo Cup racer in the series’ two-decade history.

The 2018 South African circuit racing season starts on 24 March, when a comprehensive field of more than 24 young Polo drivers aged 15 to 27 line up for the start of the 2018 Engen Polo Cup at the Kyalami race track in Johannesburg.

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As the series production car is gaining sales momentum in Europe and South America, Volkswagen Motorsport has confirmed the first customers for the new Polo GTI R5, based on the new sixth-generation Volkswagen Polo, launched last autumn.

Fifteen paying customers have been confirmed for the first batch of the new Polo-based rally car, which means the first run of motorsport machines is now sold out. The 272bhp, four-wheel drive rallying Polos will be delivered in the second half of the year, with both European and South American customers eagerly awaiting delivery.

Baumschlager Rallye & Racing GmbH in Austria will take three cars, headed up by Austrian rally champion Raimund Baumschlager, who won the 2017 Austrian Rally Championship with a Polo R WRC previously campaigned by four-time Polo champion Sébastien Ogier. Belgium also sees three cars head there: two for BMA and one for THX Racing.

A pair of GTI R5s will end up at Printsport Oy in Finland, while another duo will head to Italy for HK Racing. One car will go to Portugal, and previous World Rallycross hi-fliers Kristoffersson Motorsport has also ordered one GTI R5.

A trio of cars will also undergo the longest journey of cars in the initial batch: a Paraguay Volkswagen importer 11,000km away from the Volkswagen Motorsport workshops in Hanover, Miguel Carrizosa/DIESA S.A., will contest national events in the country.

‘Customer demand is enormous’
‘We are overwhelmed by the positive feedback on the new Polo GTI R5*,’ said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Sven Smeets. ‘The customer demand is enormous. We are pleased about this, and it is an additional motivation to provide the teams with the best possible rally car.’

‘We assemble each car by hand in our workshop in Hanover,’ said Juliane Gründl, head of sales and distribution at Volkswagen Motorsport. ‘We are on schedule. However, we are still in the process of structuring production, and in the aftersales implementation phase. We obviously want to be ideally positioned in time for the sales launch.’

FIA regulations have determined part of the car’s make-up said Volkswagen Motorsport Technical Director François-Xavier ‘FX’ Demaison: ‘The air restrictor regulation is one of the cost-reducing measures in the R5 category, and engineers’ hands are also tied by R5 regulations in other areas. For instance, many technical components must come from a production vehicle, while standard parts are required in other areas.

‘The Polo GTI R5 uses the gearbox and four-wheel drive system of suppliers who also supply the competition. Working with our technical development colleagues in Wolfsburg and the ŠKODA motorsport staff, whose R5 vehicle has been competing since 2015, was a great help,’ elaborated Demaison.

‘The price limit is a challenge’
For 2018, the FIA-sanctioned price for an R5-category car will be €190,000. ‘The price limit is a challenge for every development department. We inevitably have to make compromises because you can’t simply choose the optimal solution in terms of performance which would probably also be the most expensive. It has to be affordable,’ explained Demaison.

‘But engineers are used to conforming with guidelines, whether they’re technical or financial. And because the R5 category is about customer motorsport, these cost containment measures make perfect sense,’ he added. Therefore, the wider wings of the Polo GTI R5 are not made from ultra-lightweight, expensive carbon fibre, but rather from affordable plastic.

Development of the latest Volkswagen Motorsport rally Polo began at the start of 2017, ahead of the launch of the sixth-generation Polo road car. Testing began in December in France, the UK, and Germany, and the plan is for the car to have its official homologation and subsequent debut on the 2018 Rally of Germany in the summer.

272bhp, 0 to 62mph in 4.1 seconds
Whereas the production Polo GTI** has a 197bhp, 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, its rallying relative is capped to 1.6 litres, but 272bhp and 295lb ft / 400Nm of torque is sent through a five-speed sequential gearbox to all four wheels for maximum grip on any surface. A weight of just 1,230kg (the Polo GTI road car tips the scales at 1,355kg) sees the new Hanover rally racer rocket to 62mph from rest in just 4.1 seconds, 2.6 seconds faster than the road car.

It all sounds very promising, and we can’t wait to see the new car in angry action. We also excitedly await the Polo GTI R5 writing the next chapter in Volkswagen’s rich rallying story.

* Polo GTI R5: the concept vehicle has not gone on sale, and therefore Directive 1999 / 94 EC does not apply.

** Polo GTI (147kW / 197bhp) fuel consumption in l/100 km: urban 7.7 / extra-urban 4.9 / combined 5.9; CO2 emissions (combined) in g/km: 134; efficiency class: C.

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2017 was yet another busy year for the Volkswagen Polo. The launch and introduction of the all-new sixth-generation model has been the major news, and although there has been no Polo rally action in 2017, the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTI has dominated the World Rallycross Championship in the hands of Johan Kristoffersson.

But, with a debut for the new Polo GTI R5 later in 2018, the stages look set for a Polo return to asphalt and gravel action. The Engen Volkswagen Cup in South Africa is due to run new-generation Polo GTIs, too, in 2018, so next year’s Polo motorsport activity is shaping up very nicely.

Right now, though, we round up the Polo’s biggest achievements in 2017. (Bold entries are illustrated by the picture above that particular month’s list of events.)

January

• Al-Attiyah confirms no Polo R WRC in 2017 FIA World Rally Championship
• PSRX and Volkswagen Sweden rallycross team confirmed
• Polo Sound special edition launched in Germany
• Indian-market Polo GTI wins Autocar India’s Performance Hatchback of the Year award
• Polo is the tenth best-selling car in Europe (JATO).

February

• FIA prohibits complete homologation of 2017 Volkswagen Polo R WRC
• Polo GTI 230 special edition for Switzerland
• Guy Wilks confirmed for Polo RX in 2017 World Rallycross Championship
• Polo-based VW Ameo wins Car India and Bike India’s ’Compact Sedan Of The Year’ award
• Polo is the seventh best-selling car in the UK.

March

• Citi Vivo special edition launched in South Africa
• 1,250,000th Polo production jubilee celebrated by Volkswagen South Africa
• Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI R-Line launched in South Africa
• PSRX Volkswagen Sweden reveals 2017 World Rallycross Polo GTI Supercar
• Volkswagen Motorsport announces new Polo R5 rally car testing plans
• Indian-market Polo GTI wins the Thrill of Driving Award at the Times Auto Awards
• Polo-based VW Ameo wins the Compact Sedan of the Year at the Times Auto Awards
• Polo is the seventh best-selling car in the UK.

April


• PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTIs show pace at World RX of Barcelona
• Kristoffersson drives Polo GTI Supercar to World RX of Portugal podium
• Volkswagen India launches limited edition Polo GT Sport
• Indian-market Polo GTI wins Flywheel Auto Awards’ 2017 Performance Hatchback of the Year award
• Indian-market Polo GTI wins BBC Top Gear Awards’ 2017 Hot Hatch of the Year award
• Polo is the ninth best-selling car in the UK.

May

• Fifth-generation Polo-based Volkswagen Vento Allstar and GT launched in Malaysia
• World RX of Hockenheim podium place for Kristoffersson and Polo GTI
• PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Polo GTIs dominate World RX of Belgium with double podium
• Sixth-generation Polo prototype drives and ‘sneak peek’ video published
• Solberg and Kristoffersson do the double at World RX of Great Britain
• Polo is the fifth best-selling car in the UK.

June

• Volkswagen launches sixth-generation Polo ‘teaser’ video campaign
• Johan Kristoffersson takes second 2017 World RX victory in Norway
• First images of new Polo revealed ahead of 16 June world premiere
• New sixth-generation Polo unveiled at Berlin world premiere event on 16 June
• Polo is the eighth best-selling car in the UK.

> Read More

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With the sixth-generation Polo about to hit UK roads, Falken Tyres has been selected as an official tyre supplier for the new car. The German manufacturer will supply VW factories with its premium Azenis FK453, Sincera 832A Ecorun, and Ziex ZE914A Ecorun offerings, as well as its winter Eurowinter HS449 fitment.

The high-performance Azenis FK453 has particularly impressed in independent testing, with motoring magazine Auto Zeitung praising the 225/50 size. The tyre was ‘Highly Recommended’ by the publication for its top performance in agility, braking and high speed in wet conditions on the test circuit.

Cutting-edge technology
The Sincera 832A Ecorun meanwhile was developed using the latest cutting-edge technology (the 4D-Nano Design simulation system was used in developing the tread compound) and was also highly praised by independent testers. The Ziex ZE914A Ecorun is also a multiple award-winner, rated ‘Good’ for size 185/60R15 84H from testers at Auto Bild magazine and ‘Recommended’ for size 215/60′ from the Auto Motor und Sport title.

Finally, the Eurowinter HS449 has received three ‘Recommended’ ratings. The Austrian Automobile, Motorcycle and Touring Club (ÖAMTC) and the Swiss Touring Club (TCS) tested the 165/70R14 81T tyre and praised its handling in dry and icy conditions as well as its fuel economy. A further ‘Recommended’ commendation was also awarded by the testers at Auto Bild.

All of the tyres are produced at the SRI plant in Thailand, one of the largest and most modern tyre plants in the world, and Falken will supply the following sizes: Azenis FK453 – 215/45′ 91Wn; Sincera 832A Ecorun – 185/70R14 88H, 185/65R15 88H and 185/65R15 88H; Ziex ZE914A Ecorun – 195/55R16 91V; and Eurowinter HS449 – 185/65R15 88T.

Christian Stolting, Key Account Manager OE at Falken Tyre Europe GmbH, said: ‘The range and attributes of our tyres complement the broad requirements of the VW Polo. From tyres for drivers seeking a sporting ride through to tyres for drivers whose priorities are energy efficiency and mileage, we will deliver tyres to suit every application.’

‘Consistent high performance’
‘We offer an extensive portfolio of tyres that regularly convince independent testing organisations as well as being praised by drivers themselves and we are delighted to hear that this has been underlined by Volkswagen. We see the decision as confirmation of our consistent high performance in both development and production,’ he continued.

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We previously reported that the UK order books for the brand-new sixth-generation Volkswagen Polo opened on 3 October, with a limited range of three trim and two 1.0-litre engine options. Today, Volkswagen UK announced a further two engine choices, in addition to a further, range-topping SEL trim level.

The new options start at £15,060 for the normally-aspirated 1.0-litre 74bhp SE, while the same model in Beats trim is priced at £16,110 ‘on the road’ (OTR). The most powerful 1.0-litre petrol unit with 113bhp is available in SEL trim starting at £18,180 OTR with a six-speed manual gearbox, rising to £19,530 with a seven-speed automatic DSG transmission.

Polo SELs sit at the top of the ‘non-sporting’ new Polo family tree and offer 16-inch ‘Las Minas’ alloy wheels, chrome interior accents and LED lighting, front fog lights with static cornering function, front sports seats, and an eight-inch Discover Navigation colour infotainment system over SE models.

Seven-model Polo family
The sixth-generation Polo is available from £13,855 OTR, and the range will eventually expand to feature a seven-model family, including a 197bhp GTI and an enhanced-specification GTI+ trim. Prices and availability for the R-Line, GTI, GTI+ and the 1.6-litre TDI cars have yet to be released.

Entry-level S cars include air conditioning, auto headlights with LED daytime running lights, eight-inch ‘Composition Media’ infotainment system and Front Assist with pedestrian monitoring system. SE cars gain 15-inch ‘Sassari’ alloy wheels, the ‘Car-Net App Connect’ smartphone connectivity system, and a leather-trimmed multi-function steering wheel.

Similar to its fifth-generation predecessor, the new Polo Beats gets a 300-watt sound system as standard, as well as ‘Beats’ bonnet and roof decals, 16-inch ‘Torsby’ alloy wheels, front fog lights, front and rear carpet mats, a ‘Red Velvet’ dash pad, and 65 per cent-tinted windows from the B-pillar back. Sporty R-Line Polos are fitted with 16-inch ‘Sebring’ alloy wheels, LED rear lights, an R-Line body kit (front and rear bumpers with gloss black rear spoiler), and stainless steel pedals.

GTI models meanwhile boast 17-inch ‘Parker’ alloy wheels (the same design as the latest Golf GTI), red brake calipers, 15mm lower sports suspension, and Volkswagen’s XDS electronic differential. Finally, GTI+ models gain the Active Info Display digital instruments (optional on other new Polos), adaptive cruise control, LED headlights, Light & Sight pack, and keyless entry with start-stop button.

Standard-setting trends
The new Polo continues the standard-setting trends of its predecessors. Class firsts include the debut of Volkswagen’s second-generation ‘Active Info Display’ digital instruments, as well as a new level of assistance systems in the small car sector. These include Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Detection, City Emergency Braking, and Pedestrian Monitoring technologies.

All new Polos also have a stop-start system and regenerative braking, while cars with an output of 94bhp or more can be ordered with a six or seven-speed DSG gearbox as an option to the standard five or six-speed manual gearbox. For more details on the all-new Polo, together with brochures and pricing of the versions available – and to use Volkswagen’s online configurator – visit www.volkswagen.co.uk.

NEW VOLKSWAGEN POLO PRICES (UK, RRP OTR)

S
1.0 64bhp, 110g/km*, five-speed manual, 5dr: £13,855

SE
1.0 64bhp, 108g/km*, five-speed manual, 5dr: £14,630
1.0 74bhp, 108g/km*, five-speed manual, 5dr: £15,060
1.0 TSI 94bhp, 101g/km*, five-speed manual, 5dr: £15,930
1.0 TSI 94bhp, 105g/km*, seven-speed DSG, 5dr: £17,280

Beats
1.0 64bhp, 110g/km*, five-speed manual, 5dr: £15,680
1.0 74bhp, 110g/km*, five-speed manual, 5dr: £16,110
1.0 TSI 94bhp, 103g/km*, five-speed manual, 5dr: £16,980
1.0 TSI 94bhp, 107g/km*, seven-speed DSG, 5dr: £18,330

SEL
1.0 TSI 113bhp, 107g/km*, six-speed manual, 5dr: £18,180
1.0 TSI 113bhp, 109g/km*, seven-speed DSG, 5dr: £19,530

*Fuel consumption and CO2 figures are obtained under standardised EU test conditions (Directive 93/116/EEC). This allows a direct comparison between different manufacturer models but may not represent the actual fuel consumption achieved in ‘real world’ driving conditions. More information is available on the Volkswagen website at www.volkswagen.co.uk and at www.dft.gov.uk/vca

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